‘The roots of my success as a software engineer emanates from Apeejay’

For Karandeep Singh, an alumnus of Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park, the path from school to software engineering wasn’t just about academics. It was shaped by constant efforts of school. 

Today, working as a software engineer at SVS Sopra Banking, Karandeep credits much of his early technical foundation, and his personality more broadly, to the range of opportunities the school gave him to explore beyond textbooks. We spoke with him about that journey to building banking solutions used in the real world today. Read edited excerpts:

What are some of your fondest memories of your time at Apeejay?

I was actually going through my childhood photo album recently, and I found pictures from when I first joined the school. I must have been four years old. There was a toy train set up at the school back then, and I still remember how much I loved that moment. Another fondest memory is about my friends like how we used to come to school together, play basketball and football during our physical periods. I genuinely miss those days.

What kind of activities were you involved in during Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai?

I was part of the Electronics Club and the Robotics Club. I also learned to play a few instruments, and I really enjoyed swimming. All of these activities played a real role in shaping my personality, not just my academic side.

How would you describe the teaching approach?

All the teachers focused on practical learning and helped us truly understand concepts. Teachers were good and approachable. They understood the subject and asked us to avoid rote learning. I remember when I enrolled in college, I noticed a lot of my peers didn’t even know the basics of coding. On the other hand, I already had a strong foundation from school. 

That head start made a real difference. Beyond academics, the school’s amenities and activities — whether sports, the computer club, or Logo Techs — were genuinely good. I also remember a Tinkering Lab being introduced in the later years. 

What was your educational journey after that?

I completed my education from Apeejay in 2019. After that, I pursued a B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering from Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, under IP University. Since then, I’ve been working as a software engineer.

What is your current job role, and where are you working?

I’m currently working at SVS Sopra Banking. My work involves what software engineers handle like understanding requirements, designing a solution, and then coding that concept into reality. 

Since it’s a banking product I work on, it feels good to build something that’s actually used in real life and helps people. After development comes testing, and then delivering it out to the user once it goes into production — that moment is always a bit nerve-wracking, because that’s when you find out whether your solution actually works or not.

Did Apeejay help you in shaping your personality?

Absolutely, yes. It genuinely helped shape who I am today. As I mentioned, I’m a software engineer now, and that foundation actually started in Class 11, when I joined the Computer Club at Apeejay, which was excellent. I eventually became Vice President and then President of the club. We used to organise a two-day fest that helped other students explore things like gaming and programming competitions. So yes from joining the club to present my job, it all roots from Apeejay.